Public hospital doctors still waiting for pay offer

A formal pay offer for Tasmania's public hospital specialist doctors has yet to be finalised.

The Australian Medical Association had expected a revised offer tonight, but a government spokesman now says a decision is expected on Thursday.

The AMA says doctors are unhappy with the verbal offer they have already received and had called on the government to improve it.

Tasmanian specialists in the public system are paid 80% less than their mainland counterparts.

The Liberal health spokesman Brett Whiteley is concerned more trained professionals will leave the state as a consequence.

"Well, the government needs to show the best intent it can and the last thing we want to do is insult those medical officers in our hospitals," Mr Whiteley said.

"We don't need to see an ever-increasing amount of money being spent on locums, flying people in from all over Australia that don't have the relationship with the people, don't have the relationships with the patients. "